Multicolor fountain pen



May 8, 1928. 1,668,621

M. ALLAND v MULTICOLOR FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Oct. 5, 1925 Patented May 8, 1928.

MAURICE ALLAND, F ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MULTICOLOR FOUNTAIN PEN.

Application mea october a, 1925'. serial No. 60,223.

The object of the invention to provide improvements in fountain pens, and particularly in that type which permits, by simple adjustment, writing in two or more col ors.

YAnother object has been to provide a constructionwhich facilitates the flow of air into the reservoir to replace the ink or other liquid as the latter flows therefrom by way of a feed-member and the usual pen-point.

A further object isY to provide means, whereby when use of the pen is discontinued, aA relatively simplemanipulation serves to shut off the flow of liquid before it reaches the pen-point, so that no ink can escape from the pen regardless of the position in which it is carried, or from the pen and feed member into Vthe reservoir. Still another object is'to provide, in combination with the foregoing features, means for `filling the reservoir of the instrument with water or the like, in a manner` which insures a maximum quantity of such liquid so as to serve forthe penas lon-g as'possihle.

And a still further object is to provide indicating means upon the: outside of the pen, whereby the user can tell at any time whether the liquidsupply is free to flow, or the shut-ofi valve mechanism has been operated, besides combining all of these improved features with means for supporting a'plurality of soluble ink-pellets, one operatively positioned adjacent to the pen-pointand theV remainder held in reserve, spaced a-way from said pen-point and free from the liquid which passes from the reservoir through or by the feed-member tothe said pen-Point.

. `With these and other objects and advantages `of the invention, together with details ofthe construction and operation of the same, the .invention in one form is hereinafter described in` conjunction with the :iecompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 .is a. side elevational View of a. writing instrument comprising a fountain pen having ay part of one end broken away and the vend wall of the reservoir removed; F 2 is a similar view of the instrument, also havingportions of the side walls broken away, and with a` cap (Fig. shown in alignment therewith; Fig. t is an elongated View of the several parts of the pen in disassembled relation; Fig. 5 is a bottom planview of the .1ere peri-ien ef the nelements .Fis- 6 comprises both an end and a side elevation of the closure member for the lower end of Athe reservoir;`l `ig. 7 is a group of three central longitudinal sections, showing the feedmember, feed-member holder and the closure member of Fig. 6 in alignment as normally assembled; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the through which a shaft 3 is adapted to slide freely and with which said shaft is adapted to be temporarily secured for reciprocation vof the plunger by means of external manual operation of the shaft. The adjacent or upper end of the reservoir is normally closed Vby a member 4, through which the shaft slides, but which in Fig. 1 is shown in open position for removing the plunger or the like, said closure being shown in its closed position in Fig. 2. The upper freely projecting end portion of the instrument forms a handle for operating the shaft and plunger when required, but also preferably embodies a magazine pencil.

The lower portion of the reservoir is closed by a member shown both in Fig. G and at the top of Fig. 7. This closure member comprises a tube 5 closed at its upper end 6, which latter is externally threaded at 7 for securing the vmember within the otherwise open lower end of the reservoir. The

central portion of this'tube is enlarged at 8, and its surface forms a continuation of the corresponding surface of the reservoir 1, while a sector 9 of the threads 7 is cut away to provide for thepassage of air into the reservoir from an angularly shaped capillary bore 10, which enters the outer surface ofl the enlarged portion 8, imi'nediately adjacentto the upper limit ofthe latter, and leaves said closure member through the upper surface of said enlarged portion.

The feed member 11, which supports the pen-point 12, is provided with a. longitudinal slot 13 upon `that portion of its surfacef over which the pen-polnt normally lies. 'At the upper end the slot 13 enters a transversely extendingsaw-cut 14, `and this resulting bifurcated end portionis normally secured within a tubularmember constituting a feed member holder (shown in Figs. 7 and 8), haying a closed upper end 16, and. er-r iie tending slidably into the tube of the resei'voiucl'osiii'e. .The lower'portion of the member is radially enlarged at 17 and provided with a reversely turned cylindrical llange 18, which `when assembled' overhangs the lower reduced end portion 19 of the member 5. It will also be noticed that the' upper end portion 6 of the member 5 is provided with a radially extending segmentalE slot 20 in which normally extends a pin 21, surrounded by iifater-tight cement 21 and protruding from the upper end portion 4of the member 15, 4to limit the' relative angular movement of the meinbe'rs 5 and 15 with respect to each other. The latten1 of said last-na ed members is also provid'ed Awith a capillary bore P2 which when the members and are in one angular position permits waiter within the reservoir to flow therefrom `groove 13 of the feed-member 11 to the pen- -l'foit 1e,

where, vwhile still beneath said ioint .it rasees over a soluble ink-)ellet in l a lv l 'the' cup4 23 ofthe multieholder 24 within the aperture 25, the pellet being gradually dis solved and thereby causing ink to flow to and from the pen-point upon the Writing maferial in use. i

In the operation of this improved writing instrument, it is assumed that the reservoir li'as previously been filled with clear1 Water. The upper end portion of the instrument is its normal lower position as shown in Fig. 2. The members 1-5 and 5 are in such position that, when viewing' them as positioned in Fig. 5, the aperture 22 is closed. An inkpellet of a given color such asv red is in posi tion in the aperture 25 and, if desired, a similarpellet but of a different color such as black, is in the ether cup of the holder, and positioned within the upwardly closed aperture or recess 26. The 1member 15 is then manual y `oscillated ,in the `direetion'of the O inFig. 8 and until it can turn no farther. At this point the bore22 is in the position shown iii F 5 and will permit water from "within lthe reservoir to flow therefrom into the interior ofthe member 15, di- .reictlypinto the saw-clit let, feed-ine1nber slot 13, over the ink-pellet as above described, and from the pen-point, the `air pressure within the saidv reservoir being maintained with unfluctiiating regularity by the direct flow of airkiii'wardly ihrough the bore 10 from the eite'rior of the instrun'ient. Finally, if it is desired' to discontinue writing, the members 15 and 5 are simply turned as f ar as possible Vin the" direction of the C57 in Fig. 8 and no more water'y can flow ,to the pen from the reservoir; l However, if instead of red ink, itis desired to write with ink of a black color, er in fact any color that may be represented by the reserve pellet in the recess .26,

from' the operative position shown in Fig. 7

and reversed end" for end, sov that the re-` mainder of the red pellet is now held in reserve and the black pellet is operatively positioned within the aperture 25, when, as the clear water from the reservoir Hows over it, inl; of the same color is made and flows als hereinbefore' described from the penpoint. It is to be understood ofcourse that pellets of any desired colors can be used, and the invention is also not necessarily limited to a holder or otherprovisioirs for bjuttwo colors, the device described merely representing the broad principle involved, namely, .the provision of a plurality of soluble iik-pellets of different colors (or like colors for that latter) for use as and When wanted. l Havin'p thus described my invention, what In claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is Q 1. fountain pen comprising a' reservoir, a closure therefor, a feed member holder telescoped in and rotatable relatively to' said closure, a feed member in said holder, a. point jointly positioned by said holder and feed member, said feed member' having a channel leading to said point and aktrans- 'verse cut communicating with the channel,

said holder having an opening therethrough in constant communication with said cut, said closure having an openingv therethrough communicating with the'l Vinterior of the reservoir, the rotation of the feed member holder controllingr the registration and. nonregistration of said openings.

2. A fountain pen comprising a reservoir,

interior of the reservoir, ythe rotation of the feed member holder"controllingr the registration and non-registration of said openings. Y. n

3. A fountain pen comprising a reservoir, n closure therefor, a feed nielnber holder telescoped in and rotatable relatively to said closure, said holder .Y at its lower portion having an eXterior flange overlapping the lower end of the closure, a feed member in said holder, a point jointly positioned by said holder and feed member, said feed member having a channel leading tosaid point and a transverse out con'nn'unicating with the channel, said holder having an opening' therethrough in constant communication with said cut, said closure having a, portion extending into the reservoir provided with an opening theretl'lrough communicating with the interior of the reservoir and having e sector cut away on its periphery in line with the last mentioned opening, the rotaopenings.

In testimony whereof I have affixed Iny signature.

MAURICE ALLAND. 

